IIT BHU Lights Up with Innovation as 500 Students Participate in Third Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon

The Consumer Affairs Department held the 3rd round of the Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon (DPBH 2023) at IIT BHU. The event focuses on creating innovative tools like browser extensions, plugins, add-ons, and apps to identify dark patterns on e-commerce sites. Check details here 

IIT BHU Lights Up with Innovation as 500 Students Participate in Third Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon

IIT BHU: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, hosted the Grand Finale of Round 3 of the Inter-College Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon (DPBH 2023) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU. The final round of the competition witnessed participation from over 500 students, 150 subject experts, and jury members. Teams showcased real-time models that could detect 13 types of illegal dark patterns identified by the union government. 

The hackathon focuses on developing innovation in creating and prototyping application or software-based solutions, including browser extensions, plugins, add-ons, and mobile applications. These solutions aim to detect and analyse the use, types, and prevalence of dark patterns on e-commerce platforms. Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, was the chief guest at the event, which was a collaborative effort between the Department and the institute. 

Projects at IIT BHU DPBH 2023 Round 3

Some of the projects presented by participating teams at round 3 of DPBH 2023 are: 

• Large Language Models for Dark Pattern Detection
• Serverless Architecture for Real-time Analysis
• Modular Approach for Comprehensive Protection
• Web and Mobile Platform Solutions
• Browser Extension for Enhanced Transparency

The solutions developed cover a wide range of technologies and strategies, specifically targeting 13 dark patterns recognised by the Department of Consumer Affairs. These initiatives aim to improve digital transparency, empower consumers, and promote a more secure online space, aligning with the hackathon's primary objective of tackling dark patterns.

About IIT BHU DPBH 2023

The Consumer Affairs Department initiated the Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon (DPBH) 2023 on October 26, 2023. The event witnessed engagement from over 150 colleges and more than 40,000 students this year. In the hackathon's second round, 380 teams from various colleges competed, out of which 172 teams were selected for the third round. 

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